The 2015 Sony hacking incident is definitely one for the books. While set to release ‘The Interview’, a film that fictionally depicts the assassination of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, Sony was hacked and thousands of embarrassing emails, including ones mentioning various film stars, were revealed. In response to threats of violence against filmgoers, Sony decided to cancel film showings.
The public reaction to this was in no way favourable. The corporation was criticised for caving in to threats/cyber-bullying, instead of standing up for its First Amendment rights. President Obama was even amongst those who criticised the decision. When faced with cyber attacks and threats, it is no doubt scary to face down your attacker, especially when that attacker is a powerful foreign entity. However, in most cases, this is exactly what has to be done. A brand capitulating to its attackers makes it more difficult for the public to actively support it. As Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations put it, “It’s hard for the public to rally behind a brand that lets itself be pushed around and victimized.”
In addition to a perceived weak stance on cyber bullying, the company was criticised for its questionable record in regard to cyber security. Just two years prior, Sony PlayStation was subject to a hacking that brought down network servers for months and cost the company severely.
To compound the problems with its response, Sony forbade media interviews and remained silent on social media. With its record of cyber breeches and its silence, it was easy for the public to feel that the company did not take issues of cyber security seriously and therefore were not competent and trustworthy.
Sony was eventually able to get back on the right track. Perhaps due to the intense backlash surrounding their initial response, the corporation decided to release the film in small, independent cinemas across the country. It also exercised great strategic PR judgement when it made the decision to give the Wall Street Journal an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at its corporation. Over time, the corporation’s image recovered, but this wasn’t without first suffering an unnecessary hit to its reputation and business.
Takeaways:
1. Evaluate your crisis plan before and after a crisis has struck. Update your scenario plans to reflect your most recent crisis type and determine what you could have handled better.
2. Have a crisis team at the ready, complete with commonly understood protocols so that you are ready to get ahead of the storm when it comes.
3. Keep your communications scandal-free. Golden rule: If you wouldn’t be alright sharing it in the media, then you really shouldn’t send it over email.
CONTROL, by Fiayo. 